Workplace culture has become a frequent topic of discussion on social media, with younger employees often speaking openly about toxic behaviour, work-life boundaries and expectations from managers. In one such video, a Gen Z woman claimed that people from her generation could become “better bosses” because of the unpleasant workplace experiences they have faced themselves.
The woman, identified as Mitali Sharma, shared a video on Instagram recounting several incidents involving seniors that she described as “subtle acts of toxicity”. She said these experiences had shaped the kind of employer she would never want to become.
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‘Dragging personal choices into a professional setting’
“Gen Zs are going to be better bosses because here are subtle acts of toxicity my seniors have done with me which I will never do when I am the employer,” Sharma said.
She first spoke about seniors bringing an employee’s personal choices into professional disagreements. Recalling one such incident, she said: “For example, I got to hear from one of my seniors, ‘Get out of your social media world. This social media isn't the whole world, don't know what you think of yourself,’ when I had pointed out a mistake they had committed.”
Sharma then alleged that her illness was questioned when she sought sick leave after recovering from chickenpox. She recalled being told: “Stay a bit away from me while talking, don't know whether you have recovered or not,” while the same senior allegedly said, “Your medical certificate seems a bit fake anyway, don't know whether you actually even had it or not.”
{{/usCountry}}Sharma then alleged that her illness was questioned when she sought sick leave after recovering from chickenpox. She recalled being told: “Stay a bit away from me while talking, don't know whether you have recovered or not,” while the same senior allegedly said, “Your medical certificate seems a bit fake anyway, don't know whether you actually even had it or not.”
{{/usCountry}}(Also read: Man recalls quitting job after boss rejected 5-week leave for Brazil trip: ‘I had little money, home loan, two kids’)
‘Juniors are not there for personal tasks’
She also criticised seniors who expect juniors to perform personal errands simply because of workplace hierarchy. Sharma said there was a difference between helping someone voluntarily because of a friendly relationship and being forced to do something because of seniority.
She further highlighted expectations around working beyond scheduled hours. According to her, employees should not be labelled careless or less hardworking merely for pointing out that their working hours have ended.
Sharma also criticised expecting freshers to perform unfamiliar tasks perfectly without proper instructions and then reprimanding them for asking questions or making mistakes.
“These are some things that have happened to me IRL while I was the employee, but I will never do these as the employer,” she concluded.
The video was shared with the caption: “Let us become the boss first!”
Watch the clip here:
Social media users react
The post drew a few reactions from users who agreed with her observations about workplace culture. One user wrote, “Gen Z might actually break the toxic workplace cycle.” Another said, “Personal attacks have no place at work.” A third commented, “Work-life boundaries need to be respected.” Another user added, “Juniors are employees, not personal assistants.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)